Rio Grande and Ushuaia; Ferry crossingsCerro Sombrero and Rio Grande

As Tierra del Fuego is an island, you have to use a ferry to go there. On our way to the south we took the ferry that sails from Punta Delgada to Fireland.
The first night we spent at the Camping Municipal in Cerro Sombrero. C.Sembroro is a tiny village, but at least it had a gas station and a small mercado. Also the camping wasn't to bad, because they had small cabanas, which meant we didn't have to build up our tents.

Melanie and Christian during the ferry crossing.

The next day we had to pass the border to Argentina again, which was no problem. In Rio Grande we found a great hostel (Hotel Argentina). It's owned by Graciela and it was a very familiar atmosphere there. In the evening we first had a BBQ and then went to a pub. As we arrived there, at 20 past midnight, there were only a few people in. But when we went back to the hostel, at 3 clock, the pub was full. So next we will go out even later.

The argentinian way to start the charcoal for a BBQ.

As everybody was very tired the next day, we decided to stay one more day. In the afternoon another german guy - Rainer - arrived with his motorcycle.

Rainer joined us, as we left Rio Grande the next day - not without having taken a photo for Graciela's photo album.

Group photo in front of Hotel Argentina in Rio Grande.
From left to right: Christian, me, Melanie, Rainer.

Ushuaia - the southernmost city in the world

It's a two hours ride from Rio Grande to Ushuaia. I liked the landscape and scenery very much. The landscape chanches several times: first ther is still the plain grassland, then the first trees appear. Soon your driving through forests before the first snowcoverd mountains appear.

As we arrived Ushuaia, we went to the tourist information, and soon we found a nice place to stay: the hostel PATAGONIA PAIS, is 10 minutes walking time from the centre away, has a save parking for motorcycles and very friendly owners. Well on our way to the tourist information we met the two swiss girls from the Peninsula Valdez again and in the evening we had a BBQ together.

Heaven on Earth ;-)

We spent three days in Ushuaia. During this time we visited the national park, made a sightseeing tour in the city centre (actually there's only the main road SAN MARTIN, with its souvenier and outdoor shops) and went up to the Glacier Martial.
Then it was time to move on: an this time there was only one direction to go: NORTH.

Sign says: Aqui finaliza la Ruta Nac. No 3.
Buenos Aires 3.064 km
Alaska 17.848 km

On our way back we passed Rio Grande again, where we stayed another night in Hotel Argentina. To go back to Patagonia, this time we took the ferry from Porvenir to Punta Arenas. Unfortunately we didn't check the timetable of the ferry in advance. So we missed the last ferry and had to stay another night in Porvenir.
We had an relaxed evening - our last evening on Tierra del Fuego - watching TV and drinking a glass of wine or beer.

To prove it: I've really been there.